Vintage apartment renovation in Shibuya gets 2,000,000 Yen/sqm price tag
A former expat rental apartment building in Shibuya’s Uehara neighborhood has been fully refurbished with the apartments now available for individual purchase. The condo-conversion is a growing trend in Tokyo where land is scarce and construction costs run high.
Tokyo’s vintage apartment market in 2016
Tokyo Kantei released a report on the market values of ‘vintage’ apartment buildings and their retain or lose value over time. This year’s survey was a follow up to the last survey carried out in 2009.
Based on their findings, the vintage properties most likely to see values erode over time were:
1. In buildings over 40 years old;
2. With low earning potential; and
3. Located outside of the Yamanote Line.
40 year+ buildings have the highest risk of losing value
Of the surveyed properties that held their value over time, 91.8% were in buildings less than 40 years old.
Of the vintage apartments that saw a drop in value, 26.7% of them were in buildings over 40 years old. Older buildings, particularly those dating from the 1970s and earlier, may be built to older earthquake codes, tend to require costly maintenance and repairs since they may have ageing plumbing, will require elevators to be replaced and are generally getting towards the end of their useful service life. These factors are the main contributors to their declining value.Read more
47-yr old ryokan converted to sharehouse in Tokyo
Real estate company R Bank have converted an old Japanese inn (ryokan) into a character-filled female-only sharehouse in Tokyo's Katsushika ward. Called 'Tokyo Kita Wave', the property was renovated from a 47 year old post-war inn, and is their 30th sharehouse.Read more
Kawaguchi Apartments (1964)
Size range: 36.80 ~ 146.85 sqm
This apartment building was built in 1964 by Japanese novelist, playwright and movie producer, Matsutaro Kawaguchi, and one of his quotes is displayed in the building lobby. It was considered one of the most luxurious apartment buildings in Japan for its time and was featured in GQ Japan magazine in 2001 in an article on desirable places to live. In its early years, the residents included many prominent people from the theater and literary world. It is located in the Kasuga 2 Chome area in Bunkyo-ku which was originally a very high-class residential neighborhood.Read more
Retro apartment in the heart of Omotesando
Price: 37,800,000 Yen SOLD
Location: Kita-aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Price per sqm: 866,000 Yen
This vintage apartment just behind Omotesando Station has had a full renovation with new natural wood floors, all new water pipes, and new kitchen and bathroom. The renovation was planned by Keiji Ashizawa Design firm - their work is often featured in international design magazines such as Wallpaper, I.D. Magazine and Elle Decor.Read more
Shuwa Residence Series of Vintage Apartments
The Shuwa Residence Series of condominium apartments first appeared on the scene in the mid 1960s. They were developed by Shuwa Corporation, who went bankrupt in the early 2000's. Numerous in number, they can be seen all over Tokyo and are easily recognizable by their white stucco and often blue tiled roof.Read more
Homat Capital: Price history over the years
Apartments in this building have doubled in value since it was built in 1980. The average price when this apartment was first built in 1980 was 515,000 JPY/sqm (575 USD/sqft). In the midst of the financial bubble, the average price in 1991 was 5,750,000 JPY/sqm (6,435 USD/sqft) - a price increase of 1117% !Read more